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Medium-lift launch vehicle

From Wikipedia - Reading time: 12 min

Clockwise from top left: Falcon 9, Soyuz-2, LVM3, Nuri, H-IIA, Long March 2D
Class overview
NameMedium-lift launch vehicle
Preceded bySmall-lift launch vehicle
Succeeded byHeavy-lift launch vehicle
BuiltSince 1958
General characteristics
Capacity
  • US definition: 2,000 to 20,000 kg (4,400 to 44,100 lb)
  • Russian definition: 5,000 to 20,000 kg (11,000 to 44,000 lb)

A medium-lift launch vehicle (MLV) is a rocket launch vehicle that is capable of lifting between 2,000 to 20,000 kg (4,400 to 44,100 lb) by NASA classification or between 5,000 to 20,000 kilograms (11,000 to 44,000 lb) by Russian classification[1] of payload into low Earth orbit (LEO).[2] An MLV is between a small-lift launch vehicle and a heavy-lift launch vehicle. Medium-lift vehicles comprise the majority of orbital launches as of 2024, with both the Soyuz and Falcon 9 having launched several hundred times.

History

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Atlas-Centaur launching Surveyor 1 in 1966

Soviet Union and Russia

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The Soviet R-7 family was based on the world's first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). Sputnik was a small-lift derivative that carried the first satellite into orbit, and the R-7 design quickly grew in capacity, with Luna launching in 1958. The 1960s saw the R-7 series continue to develop, with Vostok 1 carrying the first human into space, Voskhod carrying multiple crew members, and the first Soyuz. As of 2025, Soyuz variants are still operational and have launched over 1,100 times. The R-7 family has launched more times than any other family of orbital rockets.[3]

United States

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The first US medium-lift vehicle was a purpose-built orbital launch vehicle, the Saturn I. Saturn I first launched in 1961, and the Saturn family would eventually grow into the heavy-lift Saturn IB and the super-heavy lift Saturn V.[4]

ICBM-derived launch vehicles for the US include the Atlas, Titan, and Delta families. Atlas-Centaur launched in 1962 and marked the first use of a Centaur upper stage. As of 2025, the derivative Atlas V is still operational; Centaur has seen extensive use on multiple vehicles and is operational on the Atlas V and Vulcan vehicles. Titan II GLV carried the Gemini spacecraft. The family was further developed into Titan III which utilized solid rocket boosters (SRBs), and in 1989, the heavy-lift Titan IV. Medium-lift versions of the Delta family include Delta II which utilized up to nine SRBs, and the Delta IV which could use optional SRBs or three first-stage cores as a heavy variant.

SpaceX introduced the Falcon 9 in 2010, designed to be a partially reusable launch vehicle. Falcon 9 underwent iterative upgrades and completed the first propulsive landing of an orbital rocket stage in 2015.[5] SpaceX then began regularly reusing first stages.[6] In 2022, Falcon 9 broke the record of 47 launches in one year held by Soyuz-U.[7] Falcon 9 launched 91 times in 2023 and 132 times in 2024.[8]

Other

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China's Long March family and the European Ariane family were introduced in the 1970s. Japan launched the H-I in 1986 before developing the H-II and H3. India introduced the PSLV in 1993. South Korea's Nuri reached orbit in 2022.

Rated launch vehicles

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Operational

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Vehicle Origin Manufacturer Mass to LEO (kg) Mass to other orbits (kg) Launches First Flight
Falcon 9 Block 5[a]  United States SpaceX 18,500 (reusable)
22,800 (expendable) 		7,350 to GTO (reusable)
8,300 to GTO (expendable)
4,020 to Mars 		460 2018
Soyuz-2  Russia Progress 8,200 3,250 to GTO
4,400 to SSO 		175 2006[b]
Long March 4B/4C  China SAST 4,200 1,500 to GTO
2,800 to SSO 		101 1999
Atlas V  United States ULA 18,850 8,900 to GTO 99 2002
Long March 2D  China SAST 3,500 1,300 to SSO 89 1992
Zenit-3  Ukraine Yuzhmash 7,000 6,160 to GTO 84 1999
Long March 3B/E  China CALT 11,500 5,500 to GTO
6,900 to SSO 		82 2007
Long March 2C  China CALT 3,850 1,900 to SSO 77 1982
PSLV  India ISRO 3,800 1,200 to GTO
1,750 to SSO 		60 1993
Long March 3A  China CALT 6,000 2,600 to GTO
5,000 to SSO 		27 1994
Long March 2F  China CALT 8,400 3,500 to GTO 23 1999
Long March 3C  China CALT 9,100 3,800 to GTO
6,500 to SSO 		18 2008
GSLV  India ISRO 5,000 2,700 to GTO 16 2010
Long March 7/7A  China CALT 13,500 5,500 to SSO
7,000 to GTO 		14 2016
LVM3  India ISRO 10,000 4,000 to GTO 7 2017[c]
Nuri  South Korea KARI 3,300 1,900 to SSO (700 km) 3 2022[d]
Zhuque-2  China LandSpace 6,000 4,000 to SSO (500 km) 3 2022
Long March 8  China CALT 8,100 4,500 to SSO 3 2020
Angara 1.2  Russia Khrunichev 3,500[9] 2 2022[c]
Vega C  Italy
 Europe[e] 		Avio 2,300 to SSO 2 2022
H3  Japan Mitsubishi 7,900 to GTO
4,000 to SSO 		2 2023
Vulcan Centaur[f]  United States ULA 10,800 (VC0)[g][10]
19,000 (VC2)[h] 		3,500 to GTO (VC0)
8,400 to GTO (VC2) 		2 2024
Gravity-1  China Orienspace 6,500 4,000 to SSO 1 2024
Long March 6C  China CALT 4,500 2,400 to SSO 1 2024
Ariane 6 (A62)  France
 Europe[i] 		Ariane Group 10,350 5,000 to GTO 1 2024
Long March 12  China CALT 10,000 6,000 to SSO 1 2024[11]

Under development

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Vehicle Origin Manufacturer Mass to LEO (kg) Mass to other orbits (kg) Expected Flight
Pallas-1  China Galactic Energy 5,000 3,000 to SSO 2024[needs update]
Tianlong-3  China Space Pioneer 17,000 14,000 to SSO 2025
Neutron  New Zealand
 United States 		Rocket Lab 13,000 2025[12]
MLV  United States Firefly 14,000[13] 2025
Zhuque-3  China LandSpace 11,000-20,000 2025
Irtysh  Russia Progress 18,000 5,000 to GTO 2025
Hyperbola-3  China i-Space 13,400 (expendable)
8,500 (reusable)[14] 		2025[14]
Nova  United States Stoke Space 7,000 (expendable)

3,000 (re-usable)[15]

2,500 to GTO

1,250 to TLI

2025[16]
Unified Launch Vehicle  India ISRO 4,500-15,000 1,500-6,000 to GTO 2026
Long March 10A  China CALT 14,000 2026
Pallas-2  China Galactic Energy 14,000[17] 2026[18]
Antares 330  United States Northrop Grumman
Firefly 		10,800[19] 2025
KSLV-III  South Korea Hanwha Aerospace 10,000 7,000 to SSO 2030[20]

Retired

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Vehicle Origin Manufacturer[j] Mass to LEO (kg) Mass to other orbits (kg) Launches First Flight Last Flight
Vostok  Soviet Union RSC Energia 4,730 163 1958 1991
Saturn I  United States Chrysler & Douglas 9,000 10 1961 1965
Atlas-Centaur  United States Lockheed 5,100 61 1962 1983
Titan II GLV  United States Martin 3,580 12 1964 1966
Titan IIIC  United States Martin 13,100 3,000 to GTO
1,200 to TMI 		36 1965 1982
Molniya-M  Soviet Union
 Russia 		Progress 2,400 280 1965 2010
Proton-K[k]  Soviet Union
 Russia 		Khrunichev 19,760 311 1965 2012
Soyuz original  Soviet Union OKB-1 6,450 32 1966 1975
R-36 Tsyklon  Soviet Union
 Ukraine 		Yuzhmash 2,820–5,250[22][23] 500–910 to GTO[24] 236 1967 2009
Soyuz-L  Soviet Union OKB-1 5,500 3 1970 1971
Titan IIID  United States Martin 12,300 22 1971 1982
Soyuz-M  Soviet Union OKB-1 6,600 8 1971 1976
Soyuz-U  Soviet Union
 Russia 		Progress 6,900 786 1973 2017
Feng Bao 1  China SAST 2,500 8 1973 1981
Long March 2A  China CALT 2,000 4 1974 1976
Titan IIIE  United States Martin Marietta 15,400 3,700 to TMI 7 1974 1977
Delta 3920–5920  United States McDonnell Douglas 3,452–3,848 30 1980 1990
N-II[25]  Japan Mitsubishi 2,000 8 1981 1987
Soyuz-U2  Soviet Union Progress 7,050 72 1982 1995
Atlas G  United States Lockheed 5,900 7 1984 1989
Long March 3  China CALT 5,000 1,340 to GTO 14 1984 2000
Zenit-2  Soviet Union
 Ukraine 		Yuzhnoye 13,740 36 1985 2004
H-I  Japan Mitsubishi 3,200 1,100 to GTO 9 1986 1992
Long March 4A  China SAST 4,000 2 1988 1990
Ariane 4  France
 Europe[l] 		Aérospatiale 7,600 4,800 to GTO 116 1988 2003
Delta II  United States ULA 6,100 2,170 to GTO
1,000 to HCO 		156 1989 2018
Atlas I, II, III  United States Lockheed 5,900–8,686 2,340–4,609 to GTO 80 1990 2005
Long March 2E  China CALT 9,200 7 1990 1995
H-II / IIS  Japan Mitsubishi 10,060 4,000 to GTO 7 1994 1999
Ariane 5  France
 Europe[m] 		Ariane Group 16,000 6,950 to GTO 117 1996 2023
Long March 3B  China CALT 11,200 5,100 to GTO
5,700 to SSO 		12 1996 2012
Delta III  United States Boeing 8,290 3,810 to GTO 3 1998 2000
Dnepr  Ukraine Yuzhmash 4,500 2,300 to GTO
550 to TLI 		22 1999 2015
Soyuz-FG  Russia Progress 6,900 70 2001 2019
Soyuz-2.1v  Russia Progress 2,800 1,400 to SSO 13 2013 2025
H-IIA  Japan Mitsubishi 15,000 6,000 to GTO 50 2001 2025
GSLV Mk.I  India ISRO 4,000 2,150 to GTO 6 2001 2010
H-IIB  Japan Mitsubishi 19,000 8,000 to GTO 9 2009 2020
Falcon 9 v1.0  United States SpaceX 10,450 4,540 to GTO 5 2010 2013
Antares 110/120/130  United States Orbital 5,100[26] 1,500 to SSO 5 2013 2014
Falcon 9 v1.1  United States SpaceX 13,150 4,850 to GTO 15 2013 2016
Falcon 9 Full Thrust Blocks 3 and 4[n]  United States SpaceX 15,600+[27] 7,075+[28] to GTO 36 2015 2018
Antares 230/230+  United States Northrop Grumman 8,000[26] 3,000 to SSO 13 2016 2023

Notes

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  1. ^ When launched with an expendable first stage, Falcon 9 Block 5 has the capacity of a heavy-lift launch vehicle
  2. ^ A suborbital test flight was conducted in 2004, without the upper stage.
  3. ^ a b A suborbital test flight was conducted in 2014, without the upper stage.
  4. ^ A flight in 2021 failed to reach orbit.
  5. ^ The lead manufacturer is from Italy, but the rocket has significant contributions from companies based in Belgium, France, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and Ukraine.
  6. ^ Vulcan is often considered a heavy-lift launch vehicle and is capable of carrying over 20,000 kg to LEO when using four or six solid rocket boosters
  7. ^ zero solid rocket boosters
  8. ^ two solid rocket boosters
  9. ^ The lead manufacturer is from France, but the rocket has significant contributions from companies based in Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland and Sweden.
  10. ^ Some vehicles were made by multiple manufacturers during their lifespan due to mergers and acquisitions. For brevity, only the final manufacturer is shown.
  11. ^ Proton is usually considered to be a heavy-lift launch vehicle[21]
  12. ^ The lead manufacturer is from France, but the rocket has significant contributions from companies based across Europe.
  13. ^ The lead manufacturer is from France, but the rocket has significant contributions from companies based across Europe.
  14. ^ When launched with an expendable first stage, Falcon 9 Full Thrust has the capacity of a heavy-lift launch vehicle

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Osipov, Yuri (2004–2017). Great Russian Encyclopedia. Moscow: Great Russian Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 27 May 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  2. ^ NASA Space Technology Roadmaps – Launch Propulsion Systems, p.11 Archived 24 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine: "Small: 0-2t payloads, Medium: 2-20t payloads, Heavy: 20-50t payloads, Super Heavy: >50t payloads"
  3. ^ Siddiqi, Asif. "Soviet/Russian Launch Vehicles". U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  4. ^ Kirk, Benny (1 September 2022). "NASA's Saturn IB Rocket Doesn't Get Enough Love, Let's Change That". autoevolution. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
  5. ^ Chang, Kenneth (21 December 2015). "Spacex Successfully Lands Rocket after Launch of Satellites into Orbit". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  6. ^ Berger, Eric (20 September 2023). "SpaceX breaks another booster reuse record, but did anyone see it?". Ars Technica. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  7. ^ "Most launches in a single year (single rocket model)". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  8. ^ Romera, Alejandro (3 January 2025). "SpaceX achieves record-breaking 2024, looks ahead to 2025". NASASpaceFlight. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
  9. ^ "Angara Launch Vehicle Family". Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  10. ^ "Vulcan". ULA. Retrieved 27 December 2024.
  11. ^ Jones, Andrew (30 November 2024). "China launches first Long March 12 from new commercial spaceport in boost for country's lunar plans". Space News. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
  12. ^ "Rocket Lab Completes Archimedes Engine Build, Begins Engine Test Campaign". www.businesswire.com. 6 May 2024. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  13. ^ "Medium Launch Vehicle". Firefly Aerospace. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  14. ^ a b Jones, Andrew (11 December 2023). "China's (reusable) rocket race heats up with new hop test". SpaceNews. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  15. ^ "Nova". Stoke Space / 100% reusable rockets / USA. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
  16. ^ Bek, Nate (5 October 2023). "Stoke Space fuels up with $100M in funding in quest to build fully reusable rockets". GeekWire. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
  17. ^ "三年回望：我们为什么坚定投资星河动力" [Three-year review: Why we firmly invest in Galactic Energy]. 3sNews (in Chinese). Taibo. 20 February 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  18. ^ Jones, Andrew (22 July 2023). "Galactic Energy registers sixth consecutive successful launch". SpaceNews. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  19. ^ "CRS NG-23". nextspaceflight. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  20. ^ "韓 달 착륙 위한 '차세대 발사체' 본격 착수". Newsis (in Korean). 9 May 2024.
  21. ^ "Proton". NASA. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  22. ^ "Tsiklon-2". Archived from the original on 27 December 2016.
  23. ^ "Tsiklon-4". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 22 August 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
  24. ^ "Tsyklon-4M (Cyclone-4M) prepares a move to Canada".
  25. ^ "N-2". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 8 November 2013. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
  26. ^ a b Krebs, Gunter. "Antares (Taurus-2)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  27. ^ Burghardt, Thomas (11 November 2019). "SpaceX and Cape Canaveral Return to Action with First Operational Starlink Mission". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  28. ^ Krebs, Gunter. "Telstar 19V (Telstar 19 Vantage)". Gunter's Space Page. Gunter. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
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